Hair Diseases and their Treatment

Hair problems not only rob you off your looks but also your self-esteem. Here are some common hair diseases and their treatments.

1

Hair Problems

An average person has roughly 5 million strands of hair that grow all over the body except for the lips, palms, and feet soles. A healthy hair takes about a month to grow half an inch and would keep growing for six years before falling out. Once the hair falls outs, a new strand of hair takes its place. There are, however, certain conditions that can cause untimely and severe hair loss. Hair problems can make you go bald and cause you to have low self-esteem. In fact, hair loss seems to provoke more distress than many severe skin conditions and is not very easy to resolve. Here are some hair diseases that you need to ward off and the ways to treat them. Image Courtesy: Getty

2

Alopecia Areata

It is one of the most prevalent hair diseases and is more of a skin condition that can lead to hair loss. It is caused when white blood cells invade and destroy the hair follicles. White blood cells mistake hair follicles for germs that cause diseases. Alopecia Areata can make a person go completely bald because the ability of hair re-growth is lost. It begins with showing up as small patches of baldness on the scalp and can go on to spread to the whole body. Image Courtesy: Getty

3

Treating Alopecia Areata

If your hair has been falling out for a long time and a large part of the scalp has lost hair, the likelihood of hair re-growth decreases. This is why from a variety of treatment options for this hair problem none can be predicted confidently to treat it. However, doctors have for many years prescribed steroid injections, steroid creams, lotions and shampoos. Image Courtesy: Getty

4

Alopecia Universalis

Alopecia universalis is much the same as alopecia areata. It is characterised by hair loss in all the body parts. The only difference between the two conditions is that in the universalis variant the hair loss is a lot more. Image Courtesy: Getty

5

Treating Alopecia Universalis

Just like Alopecia Areata, there is no standard treatment for alopecia univarsalis. However, there is a possibility of spontaneous re-growth even for people with 100% hair loss because the hair follicles remain alive. But it cannot be predicted as to when this re-growth will occur. Image Courtesy: Getty

6

Androgenic Alopecia

When the first stage of the hair lifecycle fails to complete its full-term, androgenic alopecia develops. The first stage becomes progressively shorter. It is a genetic hair disorder and as its symptom, the hair follicle produced is thinner than normal. So, the hair eventually becomes thinner and separates itself from the scalp. Image Courtesy: Getty

7

Treating Androgenic Alopecia

Minoxidil extends the period of the anagen phase and also raises the amount of blood flow to the hair follicles. Similarly, finasteride cuts the progression of androgenetic alopecia in affected males and stimulates re-growth. Image Courtesy: Getty

8

Telogen Effluvium

When many strands of hair remain in the resting phase (telogen) for too long, it results in them getting detached and also becoming thinner. Such a condition can affect close to half of your total hair. This may go on for up to three months. Some common causes of telogen effluvium include poor nutrition, stress and hormonal imbalance. Image Courtesy: Getty

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Treating Telogen Effluvium

No treatment for active telogen effluvium has been proven effective. However, causes of the disorder can be corrected such as, if you have a poor diet, a dietician can help you to balance it and hence, help you control the medical condition. If the hair loss began after you started a new medication, talk to your doctor and see if the medication should be discontinued or an alternative can be recommended. Image Courtesy: Getty

10

Tinea Capitis

Tinea capitis is characterised by bare patches of skin on the scalp. Fungi infection causes this disease and can affect not only the scalp, but also your eyebrows and eyelashes. Mostly, children under the age of 10 are affected by this hair disease and this disease is more of a skin condition which is also known as ringworm of the scalp. Image Courtesy: Getty

11

Treating Tinea Capitis

Your dermatologist may prescribe medicines like griseofulvin, terbinafine, and itraconazole to treat ringworm of the scalp. These may be prescribed for about 4-8 weeks and you will be asked to keep the area clean. The doctor may also recommend a medicated shampoo which contains ketoconazole or selenium sulphide to slow or stop the spread of infection. Image Courtesy: Getty

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